Severe weather impact: Sydney and surrounding districts

Severe Weather events impact service in Sydney Metropolitan District and parts of the Illawarra, South Coast and Central Tablelands Districts.

QTelecom is working to manage the significant impact to services that has occurred as a result of a series of severe weather events in the Sydney Metropolitan District and parts of the Illawarra, South Coast and Central Tablelands Districts of New South Wales on or about Thursday 7 February 2017.

Due to the effect of damage to the telecommunications network by heavy rainfall and damaging winds there has been a significant increase in the number of services being reported as faulty. As a result, there has been some disruption to service and delays to normal installation and repair activities.

QTelecom apologises to any affected customers.

Information as to the nature of these severe weather events can be sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Heavy rainfall and damaging winds are referred to in the BOM Severe Weather Warning issued for Tuesday 7 February 2017 initially at 11.02am reference number (IDN65156) all of which were widely reported in the news media after the events.

Based on current information, the resumption date of normal service operations is expected to be 26 February 2016. This date is indicative only, however, and may be subject to change once the full impact of the severe weather conditions has been assessed. QTelecom regrets any inconvenience caused to customers and thanks them for their patience while this work is being undertaken.

Services encompassed in this exemption are in the area bounded by and including, but is not limited to, the area starting at Palm Beach following the coastline south past Sydney, Wollongong, Ulladulla and Batemans Bay to Wallaga Lake. From Wallaga Lake the area heads northwest to Badja, northeast to Tianjara, and northwest to Bungonia then northeast to Robertson. The area continues northeast to Appin, northwest to Warragamba, north to Blaxland then northeast to Grose Vale. From Grose Vale the area turns southeast to Kenthurst then northeast back to Palm Beach. All suburbs and towns, including metropolitan Sydney, off shore islands and coastal areas serviced within these boundaries are encompassed in this exemption.

Services in the area mentioned above with phone numbers in the following number ranges may have been affected:

02 4220 0000 To 02 4239 7999

02 8508 0000 To 02 8543 9999

02 4251 0000 To 02 4297 9999

02 8558 0000 To 02 8596 9999

02 4412 3000 To 02 4429 9999

02 8633 1000 To 02 8633 9999

02 4441 0000 To 02 4479 9999

02 8665 4000 To 02 8665 4899

02 4572 0000 To 02 4582 9999

02 8700 0000 To 02 8888 9999

02 4620 0000 To 02 4659 0999

02 8899 0000 To 02 8925 9999

02 4720 0000 To 02 4737 9999

02 8962 0000 To 02 8978 9999

02 4752 3100 To 02 4752 3399

02 9030 0000 To 02 9031 9999

02 4773 0000 To 02 4777 9999

02 9111 0000 To 02 9111 9999

02 8204 0200 To 02 8204 6899

02 9130 0000 To 02 9130 9999

02 8217 1300 To 02 8306 9999

02 9144 1000 To 02 9153 9999

02 8332 0000 To 02 8399 9999

02 9181 0000 To 02 9181 5999

02 8422 0000 To 02 8448 9999

02 9200 0000 To 02 9999 9999

02 8467 0000 To 02 8467 9999

As these circumstances were outside of QTelecom’s control, QTelecom is claiming an exemption from compliance with time frames and performance standards required under the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011. Therefore QTelecom is notifying customers that normal installation and repair time frames may not be met during the period from 8 February 2017 to 26 February 2017 inclusive (based on estimated recovery schedule correct at the time of publication of this notice) and, under section 21 of the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011, QTelecom will be exempt from complying with performance standards during this period.